greens mac & cheese

Greens meet mac & cheese — and it’s a game changer.

All the comfort of a classic bowl of macaroni cheese, but blended with fresh, vibrant greens for a sauce that’s creamy, glossy and full of flavour. It’s the perfect balance of cosy and nourishing — familiar enough to satisfy a comfort-food craving, but light and fresh enough to feel good about.

This is our go-to for busy weekday evenings when we want something quick, dependable and crowd-pleasing. It’s especially brilliant for little ones — a generous way to get those greens in without a single complaint.

The avocado might sound unexpected, but once blended with cashews, lemon juice and parmesan, it transforms into the silkiest, most luscious sauce that clings beautifully to every piece of pasta.

Comforting, creamy and quietly wholesome — this is midweek cooking at its best.

Serves 4 & takes 25 minutes to cook

Ingredients

• 350-400g macaroni pasta (or penne/rigatoni)

• 1 ripe avocado, de-stoned and flesh removed

• 1 large bunch of fresh coriander

• 1 garlic clove

• Juice of 1 lemon (or lime)

• 150g cashews

• 300ml almond milk

• Large handful of spinach

• Salt and pepper

• Olive oil

• 1 block of parmesan or extra mature cheddar (or 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a vegan option)

Method

1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes until they become soft. Once soft, drain.

2. Place the avocado flesh, coriander, garlic, lemon (or lime) juice, drained cashews, almond milk and a large pinch of salt into a powerful blender (we use a NutriBullet) and blend until a smooth sauce forms, you may need to add a dash more almond milk until you reach the consistency you like best.

3. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Once cooked, drain (saving the pasta water) and place to one side until needed.

4. Place a large pan over a medium heat and stir through the green sauce, grate in a good amount of cheese (or add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast) and add the spinach. Heat through for 5-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and everything is piping hot, adding a dash of the pasta water (or almond milk) if the sauce ever becomes too thick.

5. Once the spinach has wilted, mix through the pasta and cook for another minute.

6. Serve in bowls and top with pepper and more grated cheese or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.